The Watcher, by A. D. (Alec Derwent) Hope (1907-2000) Can the tree that grows in grief Rooted in its own despair Crown its head with bud and leaf, Blossom and enrich the air? Can the bird that on the bough Tries the ripeness of the fruit, Taste the agony below, Know the worm that cuts […]
The Visit, by Jason Shinder (1955-) My only mother, who lost sixty pounds, tried to stand up in the bathroom and fell backwards on the white linoleum floor in the first hour of the morning and was carried to the bed in the nurse’s arms and then abruptly opened her eyes, later, the room […]
Compulsively Allergic to the Truth, by Jeffrey McDaniel (1967-) I’m sorry I was late. I was pulled over by a cop for driving blindfolded with a raspberry-scented candle flickering in my mouth. I’m sorry I was late. I was on my way when I felt a plot thickening in my arm. I have a fear […]
Turn Off the TV!, by Bruce Lansky (1941-) ather gets quite mad at me; my mother gets upset— when they catch me watching our new television set. My father yells, “Turn that thing off!” Mom says, “It’s time to study.” I’d rather watch my favorite TV show with my best buddy. I sneak […]
The Widow, by Thomas P. Lynch (1948-) Her life was spent in deference to his comfort. The rocking chair was his, the window seat, the firm side of the mattress. Hers were the midnights with sickly children, pickups after guests left, the single misery of childbirth. She had duties: to feed him and to […]
Quiceañera, by Judith Ortiz Cofer (1952-) My dolls have been put away like dead children in a chest I will carry with me when I marry. I reach under my skirt to feel a satin slip bought for this day. It is soft as the inside of my thighs. My hair has been nailed back with […]
Ode to a Dental Hygienist, by Earnest A. Hooton (1887-1954) Hygienist, in your dental chair I sit without a single care Except when tickled by your hair. I know that when you grab the drills I need not fear the pain that kills. You merely make my molars clean With pumice doped with wintergreen. So […]
Lethe, by Lorentzos Mavilis (1860-1912) Lucky are the dead who forget life’s bitterness. When the sun goes down and twilight follows, do not weep however you grieve. At that hour, souls thirst and go to oblivion’s icy fountain; but the water will blacken like slime, if a tear falls from those they love. And if […]
How To Dress Like A Scary Dyke, by Jane Barnes (1943-) She said, Wear my leather jacket, a looser sweater. Take off that lipstick, don’t fuss with your hair. Wear jeans and boots. That ought to do it. I still had stockings stuffed like seaweed in packages, and nylon pants that made my crotch itch […]
The Sorrows of Werther, by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) Werther had a love for Charlotte such as words could never utter Would you know how first he met her? She was cutting bread and butter. Charlotte was a married lady, And a moral man was Werther, And for all the wealth of Indies, Would […]